


Breathe

by blue_noize



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: All Boy's High School, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Big Sister Zelda, Bullying, Cocky Ganon, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Love/Hate, M/M, Nightmares, Semi-mute Link, Slow Burn, Teenage Ganon, Teenage Link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 09:31:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13784655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_noize/pseuds/blue_noize
Summary: Link didn't want to go back to school, not after that fight, after that memory that keeps rearing it's ugly head.  But when he's called back to school and has another run in with the object of his nightmares, Link is forced to either deal with the problem or die trying.  Not that he wants to die...not at all...Ganon knew he was childish.  He knew he was falling into that stupid pattern that kid's had, where they picked on the one that they like.  But he couldn't stop himself.  Something twisted his words before they left his mouth, and he just ends up bullying the small blonde that is the object of his fascination.  Now Link is back in school, and Ganon is planning to do everything to befriend this silent presence at the back of the class and the front of his mind.





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries, oops.
> 
> This was a random thing I started writing, and I literally just made it up as I went along. Sorry if they are out of character, I dont know much about the LoZ universe...oops.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Merci

_His breath felt like it was being ripped from him.  His limbs felt numb and he felt like he was falling.  He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, everything was just...nothing.  His eyes were open, but he saw nothing.  There was no air, there was no sun.  Everything was darkness, including his mind._

 

Crashing out of the nightmare that had reoccurred for what must have been the eleventh time now, Link flailed and threw himself from his bed.  Hitting the wooden floor with a loud thump and a soft groan-like exhalation, the blonde Hylian knocked the breath from his lungs, which was an odd sensation after feeling like he couldn’t breathe in the nightmare.  Sitting there, tailbone throbbing and leaning against the bed beside him, Link gulped down several mouthfuls of air.

_I’m so tired of these nightmares…_

Although, it was always one nightmare, the same nightmare, darkness and breathlessness.  What could it mean?  The Hylian wasn’t sure.  He knew that dreams always had meanings, but he couldn’t remember his grandmother’s stories about them very well.  She had passed on when he was only a child, so all of her stories were just fuzzy memories of falling asleep next to the fireplace, while she weaved names and places into a tale of heroics and saviors.

As the sting of impending tears invaded the corners of his eyes, Link shook his head quickly, sending his sunny locks flying.  He wasn’t going to cry this early in the morning.  He had just woken up for Hylia’s sake!

“Link!  What was that noise!?”

The small blonde snapped out of his rambling thoughts at the voice.   _Zelda_ …Flailing his arm about on his bed, under his pillows, Link felt around for his phone.  When his fingers closed around the warm plastic of his smartphone, Link made quick work of typing in his passcode and typing up a few words to explain what happened.  Hitting send on the message, he waited until the voice called back up the stairs to his loft bedroom to move.

“Alright, breakfast will be ready soon!  Don’t take too much longer!”

The teen rapped his knuckles on the floor to signal that he’d heard his sister.

As he struggled to his feet and over to his closet to change out of his sleep shirt and shorts, Link thought back over the past six months.  About halfway through April, the teen had come down with some kind of flu.  He’d been hospitalized and was kept there for three months.  It had taken the doctors a long time to figure out what was wrong with him, and even after all that, Link had lost his voice.

The doctors kept telling him that it would come back, that he had to work his vocal muscles, like physical therapy, but he hadn’t been too worried about his voice.  Link was always insecure about it anyway.  It was too high pitched even though he’d already gone through the stage of puberty that caused voices to drop.  So when he lost it, it was just one less thing the blonde had to worry about.

All but hopping down the stairs that led to his room above the rest of the house, Link followed the scent of freshly cooked sausage and eggs to the kitchen, where his sister sat at the table, eyes intent on the paper in her hands.

“Took you long enough,” Zelda said, her perfectly manicured brows drawing together to form a frown.  “I feel like you get slower every day,” she continued, putting the paper down and sliding it across the small circular table to where Link now stood.  The younger blonde looked down at the paper now, drawing his own brows together as he read the words on the page.  It was from his school…?  It seemed like they were calling him back already.  Raising his head to look at his older sister in confusion, Link tried to ask a question with only his eyes.  His phone was in his pocket and he didn’t feel like reaching for it.

_Why do they want me back already…?  I’ve only been home for a week._

Zelda sighed and flipped her blonde braid over her shoulder.  Tucking some of her bangs behind her long ear, the older Hylian shrugged.  “I don’t know, Link.  After the incident, they told you to stay at home for a couple of weeks, but I guess the headmaster thinks that you’ve had enough rest.”

Link smacked his hand on the table as a way to convey his confusion that had turned to frustration.  This motion drew Zelda’s eyes, but she didn’t startle.  She knew her brother well enough to know when he was about to move.  His cerulean eyes flashed as he yanked out his phone and typed furiously.  

Zelda waited until he was done, her own eyes of matching hue watching him quietly.  She was only two years his senior, but she had practically raised him after their parents disappeared in the middle of the night when Zelda had only been six years old.  They had gone to live with their grandmother for a while, but she had passed on a few years later and they had jumped from home to home until Zelda had been old enough to run a household herself.  She’d managed to graduate high school two years early to get a job to support herself and her younger, more naive brother.

As Link finished typing up his speech, he slid the phone towards Zelda.  Picking the thing up, eyes flicking over the screen as she read, Zelda wasn’t surprised by what she found there.

_“I don’t care that they are calling me back!  I want to stay home and help you!  You’ve been in this house alone for months now and I can tell it is weighing down on you!  I’m not going back, even if they keep sending me letters.  I’m going to stay home and help you run the flower shop.  It doesn’t matter if they expel me.  I’m not leaving you here by yourself.”_

Setting the phone back down, Zelda sighed again.  “Link, don’t worry about me.  Cia is going to be here in a few days to stay until you finish school to help me run the shop.  You need to finish school.  I will not let you drop out when you’re seventeen and almost done anyway.”  Link kicked at the table with his foot and gave his sister a look that she easily recognized.  “Yes, I know you will be eighteen in a couple of months, but that is besides the point.”  She leveled her younger brother with a look that was equal parts motherly and exasperated.  “I am your guardian, and you _will_ go back to school tomorrow, like the letter instructed.”  She watched as a few emotions played over Link’s face.  In the end however, the teen huffed and crossed his arms, resigning himself to listen to Zelda’s instructions.  “Good, now sit down and eat.  I need help setting up the shop for today’s shipment and you have packing to do.”

Mouthing words that were probably aimed at Zelda, the younger blonde Hylian flopped into his seat and began shoveling food into his mouth.  His sister rolled her eyes, but went back to eating her own breakfast, fiddling with her braid in thought.

As Link ate, Zelda ran over the past couple of weeks in her head.

She hadn’t wanted Link to come home in the middle of term; she’d tried to smooth over what happened at school and keep him there, but some things weren’t in her control.  Zelda still wasn’t sure what had happened.  Link wouldn’t tell her.  It was like he was ashamed of what happened.  All the older blonde Hylian knew was that someone had said something to someone else about Link’s muteness and something about herself, and Link had retaliated.  This in turn caused the person who had said something about Zelda to get revenge on Link somehow, but she hadn’t been told what.  She also didn’t want to press her brother.  He’d always had problems explaining things with words, and now with his voice gone, it was even more difficult.  Trying to explain would just frustrate the male Hylian and make him lash out.  Zelda had had enough of that when Link was going through his rebellious stage and she didn’t want to deal with it again.

The older Hylian knew that Link was still torn up over what happened, and that was part of the reason he didn’t want to go back to school, but she wouldn’t let some comment about herself take away Link’s chance of getting out of Kakariko Village.  The teen had too much potential to squander it by being shackled to their hometown.  Zelda was stuck here, but she would never let Link be.  Ever.

 

“Do you have everything?”

Link looked up from his phone, where he was typing a goodbye message to his sister, to see that she was at his elbow, sending looks down at his luggage.  Link rolled his cerulean eyes as he thought back to the night before, when Zelda had fussed over what he was packing.  She should know if he was missing anything or not, she had practically packed the bags herself.  Link shot her a look, to which Zelda responded in kind.

“Okay, you have everything, then.”  The taller blonde hugged her younger brother tightly, almost squeezing the air from his lungs and popping his back slightly.  She’d always been strong, and it showed.  “Do try to keep from getting in any more trouble,” Zelda said, lightly, and Link could hear the joking tone in her voice.  He still pulled back and stuck his tongue out at her though.  His sister rolled her eyes and rest her hands on Link’s shoulders.  “I mean it.  And text me every day.  Promise?”  Link nooded.  “Good.  Now off with you, you’ve gotta be there by lunchtime, and its a six hour train ride.  I’ll see you for Christmas break, okay?”  Again Link nodded, this time stepping out of his sister’s embrace and picked up his bags.

The train was behind him, waiting for the passengers to embark so they could get on their way.  Turning, the blonde Hylian stepped up the few seats onto the train.  He spared his sister a loving glance and a smile before he disappeared into the train.  Zelda responded with a smile as well, but as soon as Link was out of sight, her smiled slipped.

She was worried.  She didn’t like Link being gone for extended periods of time, but she needed to let him go.  She wasn’t his mother.  Pretty soon, he wouldn’t need her guidance anymore and he’d be out in the adult world.

_But for now, let’s allow him this small comfort._

Once Zelda watched Link’s head bob through the windows, finding his seat, she smiled again so that her younger brother would see it.  It didn’t take long for him to sit down and for the train’s last warning whistle to sound.  And soon enough, the train began to move and Link was on his way back to school.

Link watched his sister as she slowly grew smaller and smaller as the train drew away.  For a moment, he thought he saw her smile slip and a melancholic look to cross her pretty features.  However, it was soon blocked by the train turning, taking him back to his boarding school.

The blonde Hylian didn’t want to go back.  He was almost... _afraid?_ to go back.  Because he knew that _he_ would be waiting to make his life a living nightmare.

_Oh well.  Zelda wanted me to go back, and I want her to be happy.  So I’ll deal with it._

Link settled into his seat and stared at his phone, going through social media.  He didn’t have many friends.  Well, no in real life ones.  Most of his friends were ones he’d met online through games or through shared interests.  He didn’t have any at school.

Letting out a quick breath to shove those thoughts away, Link locked and put away his phone.  It was a six hour ride.  And he hadn’t slept much the night before.

 _Might as well take a nap.  I’ll need it to deal with_ him.

 

_Link was there again.  In that strangled darkness, the breath being ripped from him.  This time he could feel hands at his throat, stealing what meager air he was able to catch.  Why was this happening again?  Why couldn’t Link move?  Why couldn’t he see?_

_He felt air move to his right, near his ear.  Was that...a breath?  Why would someone be breathing next to his ear…?  Link’s nightmare never made sense, but he’d gone from terrified to downright confused now.  He’d never dreamt someone else here.  And Link knew this was a dream.  He knew he was on the train right now, snoring away, but he couldn’t wake himself up.  He didn’t understand._

_“You won’t get away from me this time.”_

 

Suddenly very awake, Link’s eyes popped open and he flinched his hand up to rub at his long, right ear.  He could still feel the tingle left behind by that breath.

“Last call!  Everyone getting off at the Lurelin Station, please disembark now!”

Link jumped at the voice over the loudspeaker.   _There already?  Did I sleep the entire trip?_  He must have.  Letting out a breath that doubled as a silent groan, Link stood up and stretched his tense muscles.  He had had his legs and arms crossed the entire six hours he had been asleep.  

Pulling his few bags out from under the seat and from above him, Link made his way off the train.  He still had a twenty minute walk ahead of him.  That’s why he wanted to pack _his own_ bags, because he would have made them light enough to carry.  Zelda had a tendency to overpack, even for a simple day trip, so he would have to lug three heavy bags three miles down the path that led to his dorm and his school.  Why there wasn’t a bus stop next to the train station to shuttle students back and forth was completely beyond the blonde.

 _Might as well get this over with…_ Link thought, pulling the strap to one bag over his head, pulling on the backpack, and pulling out the handle that would help him roll the third bag behind him.  Bouncing on the balls of his feet slightly, testing their weight, Link situated the straps to both back to give him the least amount of discomfort.  He was _really_ not looking forward to this walk.

As he walked, Link tried to not think about the nightmare, but it seemed to just sneak up on him time and time again.  That breath next to his ear had felt so warm, so real.  The voice had seemed so familiar and had said, “You won’t get away from me this time.”  But, who would he be trying to get away from?  As that thought formed in his head, Link realized there was one person he would be trying his hardest to avoid.

The blonde shook his head hard again, his ponytail coming around to smack him in the face.  As he rubbed at the stinging sensation in his cheek with his free hand, his thoughts were brought away from _that memory_.

_I need a haircut...I should have asked Zelda before I left._

Inwardly shrugging, Link picked up his pace slightly.  He wanted to get to his dorm and lock the door as soon as possible.  The blonde Hylian knew he was required to show up for at least the second half of his classes, but he _really_ didn’t want to do with the people in those classes.  He just wasn’t up for _dealing with people_ that day.  He was cranky from not sleeping, and the few hours sleep he did get were plagued by uncomfortable positions and nightmares.

The rest of the walk to his dorm, Link kept his mind blank, taking in the familiar scenery around him.  He’d been going to Lurelin Academy for about two years at that point.  He’d managed to pass their entrance exam, which was a feat in and of itself.  He wasn’t sure how he’d even done it.  Zelda had helped him study; she was a genius after all.  

Despite the annoying memories from just recently, Link had had a good time with school.  It was an all boys high school, so he didn’t have to deal with girls.  The blonde didn’t deal with girls very well.  Sure, he could handle Zelda just fine, but that’s because she was his sister.  Any other girl, though, Link was at a loss.  So he was glad that there were no girls at the Academy.  Sure, there was a girl’s school a town or two over that was much like Lurelin Academy, but they very seldom were in contact with Link’s school.

 _Almost there…_ Link sighed in relief when he saw the dark grey, thatched roof of his dorm.  The dorm was about a five minute walk from the school itself, and where Link’s room was, on the third floor, he had a nice view of the ocean.  He enjoyed waking up to the tangy scent of salt water.  He had only a few minutes of walking left before--

“Well, look who it is~  Need some help, blondie?”

Link jumped at the deep voice that flowed to him from somewhere to his left.  He knew that voice, and now that he’d heard it in person again, Link recognized it from his dream.  Slowly his steps reluctantly, Link narrowed his sky-like eyes and slotted them to his left, looking for the source of that voice.

And indeed, there he stood, the object of Link’s current frustration.

A red brow raised as Link glared at the tall, broad shouldered male that stood underneath a nearby frond tree.  As Link didn’t move and only continue to glare at him, the taller male ran a hand through his wind-mussed rust-colored hair.  He sent Link a smirk full of mirth and chuckled.

“Oh, blondie, what’s with that look?  I’m only offering to help you~  No need to look at me like that.”

Link blinked slowly, entirely unconvinced.  He wanted nothing to do with this situation and would have kept walking if not for the fact that the male was bigger than Link in every way.  Pulling his phone out of his pocket with the same free hand that he had used to rub at his face, his right hand, which was not his dominant hand, Link typed up a quick message that he set to play out loud.  

_“What do you really want, Ganon?”_

Another chuckle rumbled through a chest as broad as those shoulders.  Ganon Dragmire crossed his arms over that chest and took the few strides necessary to reach where Link stood.  Bending slightly at the waist, Ganon got up close to Link’s left ear.

“Was I that easy to read, blondie?  I wanted to talk.”  There was a pause.  “Well, I wanted to say things and have you listen without bolting off again.”

Link ducked his head to get Ganon’s mouth away from his ear.  There was just something about the older male being close to him that made him want to run away.  Ganon was intimidating, that was for sure, but it wasn’t that.  Even though he tried to shove it away again, that image from the last run in he had had with the dark-skinned Gerudo rose up in his mind unbidden.

That large, rough palm against his throat; that grovely voice close to his ear as he threatened Link.  The deep chuckle that drew scared shivers up his spine.

No, Link wanted nothing to do with Ganon.  But he couldn’t run away.  That would just make things worse.  He had no choice, he guessed.

Letting a shuddering breath out of his nose, Link lowered his shoulders from their tensed up position and smoothed his face out of the glare it had been in.  He looked up at the towering form of Ganon with the blankest face he could muster.  He tried to hide his shivering hand in his pocket, but he was sure Ganon saw it.  With those deep, emerald eyes of his, very little escaped Ganon’s notice.

Another smirk brought an almost soft look to Ganon’s chiseled face.  “There, that wasn’t so hard now was it, blondie?”  Oh, how he wished the towering Gerudo would stop calling him that.  It seemed so...mocking, the way he said it.  “Let’s go, and I’ll talk on the way to the dorm.”

The blonde Hylian did _not_ trust this at all, not for a second.  But he didn’t have much time to ponder this fact again because Ganon yanked the rolling suitcase out of Link’s much smaller hand and picked it up like it weighed nothing.  To Ganon, it probably didn’t.  Then the dark-skinned male started forward, his long strides almost leaving Link behind in an instant.

 _Don’t leave with my stuff!I_ Link wanted to yell, but there was no chance of that, so he stamped his foot and took off in a jog to catch up to the one person he deemed as a real enemy.

Because he was behind Ganon, with his eyes forced to the ground, he didn’t see the soft look in the taller male’s eyes as he slowed his steps and waited for Link.  


End file.
